Bullshit and Dog Food

In recent days I've heard various politicians and commentators suggest - somewhat tentatively - that their might be a criminal conspiracy at the bottom of the great horsemeat scandal.

What I can't figure out is why people are so reluctant to call a spade a spade - of course there's a criminal conspiracy at work here - because how else does the stuff enter the human food chain?

I listened to some chap explaining on the radio the other day - that huge numbers of horses have been abandoned in Ireland since the economy went pear shaped in 2008.

The result was that many owners started turning their steeds free - in preference to paying for their feed and general upkeep.

Apparently, an old horse is pretty worthless and would otherwise be heading for the knacker's yard - unless of course it can be passed off as prime beef - which might be worth up to £500 per carcass.

So the criminals appear to have moved in because there's no other way to explain how  horsemeat can end up in frozen lasagne and other foodstuffs - without people deliberately exploiting the system and conning the public.

So the sooner the police are on the case the better.

Because it's as plain as the nose on your face that old horses, donkeys and God knows what else - have all been getting minced up and palmed off as beef.

When the meat in question would normally be fit for only one purpose - as dog food.